


Only

by NancyandNed



Series: Today Until Forever [10]
Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Dancing, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Future, Marriage, Secrets, Slow Dancing, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23861458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NancyandNed/pseuds/NancyandNed
Summary: Ned has a secret.
Relationships: Nancy Drew/Ned Nickerson
Series: Today Until Forever [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665985
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Only

Ned, is that you?" Nancy's muffled voice sounded through the door of the guest bedroom at his house.

Both Carson Drew and Hannah had had to leave town for urgent work. Nancy had initially planned to stay with Bess or George or alone. But since she was anyway supposed to attend his cousin's wedding with him, his parents had insisted that she stay with them for the two days and Mr Drew had allowed it.

"Yeah. Do you need anything?" Ned called out.

"Can you call your mom? I need help with putting on the dress."

For a second, Ned wondered what she was wearing. Okay more like what she was _not_ wearing behind the door and he debated whether he should offer to help her himself. He had seen her in a bikini countless times and well he he'd be lying if he denied letting his imagination run a little wild. But at the same time he knew this was taking it further and the last thing he wanted was to upset her. In any case his parents might come up anytime.

Get your mind out of the gutter, Nickerson. He instructed himself strictly as he went downstairs to call his mother.

He'd just finished drying his hair and had put on his suit and tie when he heard a knock against his bedroom door.

"Come in!" He called out.

When he caught sight of Nancy behind him in the mirror, it literally and actually took his breath away. In her pale blue flowy silk dress, her red blond hair put up in a stylish updo, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

Turning her, he found her smiling, her eyes a vivid blue against her creamy skin.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Ned couldn't keep the awe out of his voice. He sincerely hoped that he wasn't drooling.

"Well, thank you Sir. You don't look too bad yourself." She said with a little curtsy and then twirled around for him, showing him the back of the dress. It involved a series of quite complex tie ups. "Bess threatened to disown me if I didn't buy this dress. I didn't realise that you need an engineering degree to figure out how to put it on yourself."

Ned laughed as he laced his fingers with hers, pulling her closer.

"I really like your mom, Ned. She even showed me how to do this hairstyle." She continued, smiling up at him.

"If it was upto her, she would have adopted you by now. That would have been really weird." He said, leaning down to kiss her.

"You're just jealous she likes me more than you." She laughed, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Not true." Ned said, though he felt strangely proud that his parents were so fond of his girlfriend. "Also, if you don't stop squeezing me I'll be wearing a very wrinkled shirt to the wedding."

"Mmm. Just a second. You smell really good too. A man in a suit who also smells good? You know that's what makes girls go crazy." Nancy mumbled against his chest.

"I'll keep that in mind the next time I want to ask out out a pretty girl."

"Hey!" She replied, breaking their embrace and swatting at him playfully. "Melissa's friends are going to be there. And with you looking like this. Mr Nickerson, I'm going to be sticking to you like a magnet today."

"My sister's college friends?" He rolled his eyes.

"18 and 22. What's the difference?"

"You just need an excuse." Ned laughed, pulling her into another hug.

"Maybe. Maybe not." She whispered against his ear just as his father called out from downstairs to ask if they were ready.

Later that day, they all cheered and clapped as the newly wed couple led the first dance.

Nancy's finger's tightened around his. True to her words, she hadn't left his side all day. Not that he was complaining.

She giggled as he led her onto the dance floor.

"You never told me Melissa met Brent at Emerson. You know, I might have to visit you quite often once you join. Maybe I'd meet a cute guy _myself_." She teased as they danced.

"Oh no Drew. You're not getting away with that." She wriggled against him as he found the ticklish spot on her back.

"Who said I'm trying to?" She said, wrapping her arms around him.

He lost track of the number of songs they danced to, gently swaying with the music, her head against his chest.

Through the corner of his eye he saw his father lead his mother to a table.

When he spoke again, there were only a few couples still left on the dance floor.

"You look so pretty, Nan."

"You flatter me too much." But she was smiling.

And the truth was that it wasn't flattery at all. Because for him, she was the most beautiful person he'd ever set his eyes upon and he knew she knew what he felt about her. Quite early in their relationship, he had realised that she had a way of finding out even the smallest details.

A detective never rests, he liked to joke everytime she guessed what all he had been up to during the day before he even had the chance to relate it. It was one of the things he liked the most about her.

And so he told her everything. They didn't have any secrets between them.

_Except one_. And Ned knew he had to wait a while before he could tell her.

It had happened just earlier that day. A strange hush had descended upon the crowd when his cousin had entered the church and started walking down the aisle, the veil not hiding the happy blush on her face. Nancy had given his hand a gentle squeeze and he had sneaked a peak at her and she'd had the dreamiest expression on her face.

_Stars_. That's what he'd seen in her eyes.

And before he had a chance to fully realise it, he had already imagined it. Him waiting at the end of the aisle as Nancy slowly walked up to him, dressed in white with that same look on her face.

She had only spoken after the ceremony was over.

"That was the most beautiful thing ever, wasn't it Ned?" She'd beamed and he had known for sure.

One day he would ask her to marry him.

It would be years later though. He was only eighteen, going away to college at the end of summer. She was just seventeen, yet to start her senior year of high school. It was too soon. Way too soon to even think of something years into the future. But he had no doubt regarding his feelings for her. He knew he would never ever meet anyone else like her.

And so he made a promise to himself.

She'd be the first girl he would ever propose to. If he was lucky, she would be the _only_ girl he would ever propose to.

"What's on your mind? You seem miles away." Nancy's voice broke into his thoughts.

Looking down, he found her peering at him through long lashes, her eyes twinkling.

Taking a glance around to make sure his parents weren't in sight, he pulled her into a long kiss.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He murmured softly as they gently swayed to the music.


End file.
